


The Boy with Many Masks

by rlin



Series: Linked Universe [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Later in the story, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Not Beta Read, Post-Majora's Mask, Post-Ocarina of Time, since MM kind of happens in the middle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28461159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rlin/pseuds/rlin
Summary: The traveler and the veteran were in a different Hyrule now, in the middle of a vast field. They could see a town in the distance so they started heading in that direction.Link wanted to get away from Hyrule. There were no hard feelings towards the kingdom, but he had gone through so much to save it, only for his efforts to be forgotten. All he wanted was to just return home to the forest, but without Navi that wasn't possible.
Relationships: Hyrule & Legend & Time (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063523
Comments: 22
Kudos: 103





	1. A Day and Night on Hyrule Field

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to [A Hyrule to the Past](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28167603), so some things might not make sense if you haven't read that first.
> 
> This fic is probably going to be significantly heavier and have more angst than A Hyrule to the Past, so be warned.

Legend and Hyrule were in a new time, and they did not recognize anything they saw.

This wasn’t that surprising, however. After all, Hyrule was lost in Legend’s time, so it was only natural for the two of them to have no idea where they were in whichever time this was.

Hyrule naturally wanted to explore this new Hyrule, but Legend reminded the traveler that they had a quest at hand. They had to seek out the hero of this time, who Nayru had said had plenty of time-travelling experience.

The two Links were in the middle of a large, verdant field that stretched almost as far as the eye can see. In the distance, they could make out a walled city.

“Seems like a good place to travel to for now,” Legend said. “If we don’t find information about the hero of this time, we can at least find an inn to stay the night.”

“Hm, given the distance, we would arrive there just after nightfall,” Hyrule noted.

This field was a rather expansive place, so even the nearest peahats were some distance away. Which was good, because for some reason the peahats of this time were rather massive.

Legend was slightly unnerved at how empty the field was. In his Hyrule, there were a lot more trees, so the general lack of trees here stood out.

Hyrule had traveled through expansive plains in his second adventure, so he didn’t mind nearly as much.

The two travelled in silence, but the two were quickly starting to get a bit bored.

After all, Hyrule may be used to travelling wide spaces like these, but he was also used to having at least one monster encounter by now. But there were only peahats, and they were too far away to be a threat. So it was just really uneventful.

It was the traveler who broke the silence.

“So…” Hyrule began. “Since it seems like we’re going to be meeting other heroes, does that mean we’ll end up meeting the Fallen Hero if he exists?”

“Traveler, if the two of us are any indication, we’re meeting them _after_ their adventures. I’m pretty sure the Fallen Hero was killed by Ganon after he failed to stop that pig. So probably not.”

“Also, do you think we’ll end up meeting that legendary founder of Hyrule at some point?”

“Actually, we probably will.”

“Who do you think the other heroes would be like?”

“Again, if the two of us are any indication, they’re probably in their teens. The goddesses, curse them, apparently like to choose their heroes young.”

“What’s the chance that a lot of them fought Ganon too?”

“Probably rather high, given how persistent that _pig_ is.” Legend changed the subject. “Can you use magic? If so, what magic do you use?”

“Well, I have a magic rod that can shoot fire, and I also know magic spells that can make my sword shoot fireballs. I also know thunder magic that can destroy all nearby enemies, but that uses a lot of power. I can also use healing magic.”

Legend nodded. “As you no doubt know, I have a lot of magic rods. One uses fire magic, one uses ice magic, one can change the seasons. I also have three medallions,” he showed the three medallions attached to a necklace he was wearing, “that can do devastating damage to any enemy nearby. My favorite one of those three is the Bombos medallion, which causes a lot of explosions and sets things on fire.”

Hyrule nodded sagely. “On my second adventure, a villager told me that ‘if all else fails use fire.’”

“Words to live by.”

“Speaking of fire, did I tell you about the time I almost burned an entire forest down?”

“No…”

“So you see, on my first adventure, there were hidden caves with secrets inside. I sometimes would get money, or find a shop, or sometimes an entire dungeon. I would access these by bombing a rock wall, or sometimes by burning a tree and finding a passageway hidden under the ashes. So I…

△  
△△

“Wow, Traveler. When you talk about your adventures like _that_ , it makes you sound like a destructive force of nature. By the way, did I tell you about the time I fell down someone’s chimney and got mistaken for Santa Claus?”

“Huh, tell me about it.”

“It was during my adventure in Holodrum. I used the Rod of Seasons to change the seasons to winter, and then I climbed a snowdrift and jumped down someone’s chimney.”

“Wow.”

“The person in the house freaked out and yelled at me when she realized that I wasn’t Santa Claus. But hey, at least I got a nice shovel out of it!”

Hyrule laughed. “Veteran, do you have any more crazy stories? You must have had some weird experiences throughout all your adventures!”

And so Hyrule and Legend exchanged stories and laughed at each other’s antics. It made crossing this massive field a lot more bearable.

They finally were close to the town and its drawbridge. It was just past nightfall.

But about 20 seconds before they would have reached the drawbridge, the bridge pulled up, cutting off the path.

The two Links could only watch helplessly as they were shut outside.

“Goddess damn it!” shouted Legend.

Then Stalfos-like monsters started popping up.

The two adventurers quickly unsheathed their swords. The monsters were easily killed, but they kept appearing without end. And increasingly big monsters were popping up the more they killed, though they weren’t any stronger than their small counterparts.

It was looking to be a long, exhausting night of fighting off these monsters.


	2. He Who Holds the Ocarina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link was alone, abandoned, and forgotten. He was tired of being the Hero of Time. He just wanted to have Navi again, to live in the forest for the rest of his days.

Link wanted to get as far away from Hyrule as he could. It’s not that he particularly disliked the kingdom, indeed, he had gone through many things to save the kingdom from a dark fate. It’s just that it reminded him too much of everything he had lost in his journey.

Zelda insisted on seeing him off and gave him the Ocarina of Time as a parting gift.

Ah yes, the Ocarina of Time. The other reason he wanted to leave Hyrule.

It was one of the keys to the Door of Time, along with the Spiritual Stones. While Link had outed Ganondorf as a traitor, which would prevent him from seizing the Triforce, he wanted to be sure that the Triforce would stay safe. After all, the Door of Time would be entirely impossible to open if one of the keys was missing.

The Ocarina of Time was also one of the only tokens the boy now had to prove that he had done what he had done. Well, that and the mark of the Triforce of Courage on his left hand.

What would Link do now? More than anything, he wanted to go home to the forest. It was the only place that reminded him of what life was like before everything that had happened, back when he was the child whose body he inhabited.

But Link had lost everything in his journey. He lost his childhood, he lost his innocence, he lost everyone dear to him, and he had lost his recognition for his deeds.

He was alone, abandoned, and forgotten. He was tired of being the Hero of Time. He just wanted to have Navi again, to live in the forest for the rest of his days.

But he couldn’t really, could he? After he cleared the Forest Temple, he was told that he was actually a Hylian instead of a Kokiri. He was always a misfit.

How could Link return to a home that was never truly his? How could he even return when he didn’t have a fairy to guide him through the Lost Woods?

And yet, despite being where the other Hylians lived, Hyrule Castle Town and Kakariko were never home to him.

He didn’t fit in other ways. He was in the body of a child, yet he had seen, experienced, _lost_ far too much to ever be one again.

He did want to reclaim his childhood, but it seemed like an impossible task. Where would he start?

The first step seemed to be finding Navi again. She was the only one who now knew or could possibly hope to understand everything the boy’s adventure was like.

Link recalled everything that had happened after he returned to the past and left the Temple of Time. His first order of business was to sneak into Hyrule Castle, like he had at the start of his adventure. But this time, he carried a warning and a proof of Ganondorf’s treachery.

Ganondorf was banished from the kingdom, but he was rumored to be raising an army to try invading the kingdom. But Hyrule was now aware of Ganondorf’s plans and was vigilant, and was preparing its defense.

Hyrule wasn’t really at peace anymore, indeed, war seemed to loom vaguely on the horizon. However, Ganon wouldn’t have the Triforce, so Hyrule probably wouldn’t be brought to its knees like it had been in the future Link was trying to prevent.

Of course, Link spent plenty of time on leisure despite constantly working to undo his mishaps. He spent plenty of time at Lon Lon Ranch, and helped with some of the work there. It was a wonderful change of pace, and Malon and Talon were very hospitable.

In fact, they even allowed Link to borrow Epona, who seemed to like the boy a lot. Link promised to eventually return the horse, since he knew how much she meant to them.

Actually, thinking about it, it seemed like Link was starting to get attached to them. He couldn’t afford to do that. That would only lead to more pain, as Link would inevitably have to part with them.

After all, that’s all Link had known.

He ran his hand through Epona’s mane. It was just before dawn in Castle Town and the gate should open soon. The bustling activity of the market wouldn’t start for a few more hours, so the town was silent save for the pattering of the dogs that like to prance throughout the city.

He could just use the Sun’s Song, but he wanted time to think to himself before he began his journey.

Soon enough, dawn came, with the sun sending rays of light over the walls of Castle Town. The drawbridge started to lower, and Link rode across it with Epona as soon as it had finished lowering.

△  
△△

Link noticed two travelers sitting on the ground near the entrance of Castle Town. They must have had to spend the night in Hyrule Field.

He shuddered. Those Stalchildren were extremely bothersome. He at least hoped that they hadn’t had to deal with any of the Peahats. Those were even _worse_.

Link decided to check to see if they were okay. They seemed a bit roughed up, a bit scratched, but they didn’t have any major injuries. They were roughly in their teens, both with swords and shields strapped to their back. One of them, the brown haired one in the green tunic, was saying something to the other one, the blond haired one (with a lock of hair dyed pink) wearing a red tunic and blue hat.

Link realized that their outfits were quite like his own.

They were also, oddly enough, seeming to emit magic. It seemed like they could either cast magic, or had magic items, or both.

Link was pretty sure this was not normal for travelers.

He dismounted Epona and went to check on them.


	3. At the Forest's Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One day, the veteran would find a way to personally slap whatever deity thought it was a good idea to choose children as heroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a convention to call the young version of the Hero of Time "Mask," but since this version of the Hero of Time hadn't experienced the events of _Majora's Mask_ yet, he will be referred to as "Link" for this chapter and the next. However, later on, he will be referred to as "Mask."

The Stalchildren by themselves weren’t much of a threat. They were easily dispatched, especially with swords as powerful as Legend’s Tempered Sword or Hyrule’s Magic Sword.

No, the problem was that they kept coming.

By the time the monsters stopped appearing at sunrise, they were completely exhausted. The two sat down to try to regain their energy.

“Wha- What was that?” Legend panted, thoroughly winded. “Why does such a pleasant-looking place have so many monsters?”

“I’m not sure,” Hyrule said. “In my time, I had plenty of monster encounters, but those monsters usually focused more on strength than numbers.”

They heard the drawbridge lower. There was a child riding a young horse across it. He was wearing a green hat and a green tunic, and with a sword and shield on his back.

“Veteran, what’s the chance that that’s the hero of this time?”

“Traveler, if that young boy had to go through an adventure, I will find a way to punch the goddesses for forcing him to go through a lot at a young age.”

The boy seemed to notice the two adventurers and dismounted his horse. “Are you two all right?”

“Yes, just really winded.”

“You _do_ know that Hyrule Field is quite dangerous at night, right?” the boy asked.

“Well, the drawbridge raised right before we could use it!”

The child groaned. “Of _course_ it did. I knew I wasn’t the only person who had to wait outside an entire night because he couldn’t be a _bit_ faster.”

“Oh, by the way, what are you doing out here?”

“I’m going to the forest. There’s a personal journey of sorts that I need to take there. Who are you anyway?”

“Ah.” Legend thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure if the boy would take “oh, we’re time travelers” rather well. “We’re adventurers from… Labrynna, actually. We’re pretty unfamiliar with Hyrule. We’ve been wanting to check out the sights around here, so do you mind if we accompany you to the forest?”

The boy clearly wasn’t a big fan of the idea, but he said, “Fine. My name’s Link. What’s yours?”

Hyrule and Legend exchanged glances. This boy was almost certainly the hero of this time, then.

“We… have the same name actually,” Hyrule explained. “So we’ve been calling each other Veteran and Traveler.” Not a lie, just not the full truth.

△  
△△

And so the three Links started heading for the forest. Legend and Hyrule weren’t sure why Link had some sort of personal business there, but they knew better than to ask. It seemed to weigh heavily on him.

Legend wasn’t sure what to think of this boy. Yes, he was young, but his eyes told another story. They were eyes that had seen pain and loss, eyes that had seen too much.

He would too often see a similar look in his own eyes whenever he looked in a mirror. He didn’t see it as often recently as he slowly learned to deal with his emotional baggage, but seeing it in the eyes of a _child_?

Legend hadn’t taken much of an emotional toll from his adventures until Koholint. But it looked like this new Link was carrying an emotional burden much like the one Legend had from Koholint, even though the boy was much younger.

Why would the goddesses force the weight of the world on such a young boy? Could he not grow up happily?

Though again, that seemed to be impossible for Hyrulean heroes. Legend lost his uncle and saved Hyrule for the first time when he was around 13. The traveler had gone on his first adventure when he was about 10.

Legend couldn’t help but notice that the boy was refusing to open up to Hyrule’s attempts to chat with him. What could have him be that closed off? The veteran may have been rather closed off, especially about his fourth adventure, but the boy seemed to try to avoid any sort of emotional connection.

One day, the veteran would find a way to _personally_ slap whatever deity thought it was a good idea to choose children as heroes.

△  
△△

They were at the forest’s edge now, after about six hours of traveling. There was a path that went into the forest.

Link turned back. “Travelers who enter the forest _will_ get lost. Few who enter the forest return. You shouldn’t follow me into these woods, it’s too dangerous.”

“But-” Hyrule was cut off by Link again.

“No. _Anyone_ who enters will not return.”

“Then why are you going in there?”

“It’s the only place where I think I could find- never mind. That’s none of your business. Kakariko Village is not too far from here, you can get there before nightfall. Plus, unlike Castle Town, you can enter it at night anyway.”

“But-”

“Traveler, we can’t change his mind,” Legend said.

“But our quest-”

“We should wait for him after he comes back.”

“Quest?” Link asked.

“Oh, well, we’re kind of on an important quest, and I think it would be good for you to join us.” Legend again decided that he did not want to tell everything to the boy. He might not react well.

“I guess I _might_ join you afterwards. I’m not really sure what to do with my life right now. However, I find- I mean, if I succeed in my quest, I’m not going to cross ways with you again.”

Heroes rarely got what they want. Legend got a feeling that they would end up seeing each other again despite the boy's wishes.

“We’ll be waiting in Kakariko for a while, then,” the veteran said.

“Well, it’s been interesting traveling with you two,” Link said, though he had obviously been humoring the two. “I wish you the best of luck on your own quest.” And so he mounted his horse and rode into the forest.

Hyrule and Legend glanced at each other.

“So… Veteran, do we just wait for him to come back? Do you think he’ll come back?”

“If Zelda’s dreams were as prophetic as they were, we _will_ be seeing him again, even if he doesn’t want to.”

“Anyway, what was with him, anyway? He didn’t respond to my attempts to start conversation with him?”

“My best guess is that he’s afraid to open up to other people. I’m not sure why, though…”

Hyrule sighed. “I guess we’ll be staying at Kakariko, then.”

“Ugh, I really hope we get there before nightfall. The last thing we need is to have to fight those Stalchildren for another night.”

“Agreed.”


	4. The Limits of History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There is something wrong with the history around this time,” Hyrule muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR: The Logical Consequences of Being in Another Timeline

The Kakariko of this time was a small, cozy village compared to the large and bustling Castle Town. Hyrule and Legend managed to get there before nightfall, thank the goddesses. They did _not_ want to put up with more Stalchildren.

They introduced themselves as travelers from a distant land and asked to hear some of the legends about Hyrule.

They both knew that it would be suspicious if they asked too many questions about where the Triforce was, but they wanted to know where in Hyrulean history they were.

Anyway, they figured out that the Triforce was still in the Sacred Realm, which meant that this was before Ganon stole it and the Imprisoning War happened.

Strangely enough, they also overheard people discussing news about how a man named Ganondorf had been banished from Hyrule for seeking to steal the Triforce for his own needs, though he was likely plotting to invade Hyrule for that purpose. Of course, that name had appeared in the legends by Legend’s time, so they both had no doubt that that man would become Ganon.

Which is weird, because none of the “he was banished from Hyrule” stuff was in any of Hyrule’s history by Legend’s time.

“So, the legends say that Ganon _accidentally_ found the entrance to the Sacred Realm,” Legend told Hyrule. “Do you think he’s going to do so sometime in the future?”

Hyrule shrugged. “The thing is, some rumors I heard seemed to indicate that the only entrance to the Sacred Realm might be in the Temple of Time in Hyrule Castle Town. Maybe he might successfully invade Hyrule and then enter the Sacred Realm? Though that would seem _far_ from accidental.”

“Also, I now have no doubt that that boy is the hero of this time. I’m sure you heard about what lead to Ganon’s banishment.”

“Yes, about the strangely foresighted boy in green. That’s obviously the Link we met earlier.”

Legend thought for a moment. “The thing is, the Hyrule of this time is actually prepared and is readying fortifications to keep Hyrule defended. Hyrule isn’t going to be caught off guard like it was in the legends. And Ganon doesn’t have the Golden Power to back his sorcery yet, so Hyrule’s might actually be able to defeat him.”

“There is something wrong with the history around this time.”

“I mean, Nayru _did_ mention that there was a time-travelling incident around the time Ganon stole the Triforce. And I know firsthand how badly time travelling messes with history.”

“Also, if this is just before the Imprisoning War, wouldn’t that make that boy the Fallen Hero?”

Legend sighed. “The Fallen Hero would have been great for blaming for the condition of our times, but that’s because all the legends say that he was around my age, around 16 or so. The thing is, he’s only _nine_. If he’s the Fallen Hero, you can’t even fault him for failing. It’s the Goddesses’ fault for placing the weight of the world on such a young boy.”

He paused for a moment. “However, the boy seems to have _succeeded_ preventing Ganon from stealing the Triforce? Though again, maybe Ganon successfully invades Hyrule and gains access to the Sacred Realm anyway. The boy also seems to have gone through at least one quest, so he should be more than capable of defeating the pig?”

Hyrule groaned. “Ugh. This is going to give me a headache.”

“Again, if the time-travelling incident Nayru alluded to did happen around now, that would probably be at fault. And time travel is nothing if not headache-inducing.”

They both decided to go to Castle Town the next day and check out the Temple of Time.

△  
△△

Link knew that Ganondorf was planning to invade Hyrule to try seizing the Triforce, since Link had caused his original plan of subterfuge to fail.

Joke’s on Ganon. The Door of Time cannot be opened without the Ocarina of Time, and Link had that.

Plus, even if he got the Door of Time open, the last gate to the Sacred Realm required pulling the Master Sword. There was no way that Ganon could pull that. He probably couldn’t even _touch_ the holy blade without getting terribly burned by its evil-repelling powers.

Link’s terrible mistake last time was pulling the sword, which opened the gate. That was how Ganon was able to steal the Triforce.

But that wasn’t a mistake Link would make twice. If he had anything to say, the Door of Time would stay closed.

But enough about that. Link looked around, seeing gloomy forest as far as the eyes could see. He didn’t remember the Lost Woods looking _this_ bleak.

But if he could find Navi _anywhere_ , it would be somewhere in the forest.

His mind wandered to what happened earlier that day, with the two adventurers. They kind of resembled him, and the veteran’s outfit was kind of similar to Link’s own, though in different colors. There was obviously much more to them than they were trying to indicate.

Link had tried especially hard not to get emotionally attached to them. He would be parted with them anyways, and they would probably never see each other again. And if he risked getting emotionally attached to them, he would only get pain from that.

After all, that’s where much of his pain from saving Hyrule came from. No one recognized him, and he just felt broken.

Indeed, Navi, the one he had an emotional connection to most, was gone too. That hurt the most.

That’s why he was looking for her.

He didn’t notice the Skull Kid with two fairies hiding behind some brush, not until those two faries suddenly rushed forth to spook Epona, throwing Link to the ground and knocking him unconscious.

△  
△△

“Ugh,” Legend announced after waking up. “I did _not_ have a good dream.” Indeed he hadn’t. But unlike his usual nightmares, which involved Koholint (though in that case he would not have announced his nightmare to the world), for some reason he had dreamed of that evil mask that he had kept back home. Maybe he should have tried stabbing that thing with the Master Sword.

He told Hyrule about his dream, and Hyrule was about as weirded out as the veteran himself was.

“Well,” Hyrule said. “It might be an ordinary bad dream, or it might be one of those prophetic visions.”

“I’m hoping it’s the former.”

They decided to get going, and head to Castle Town. Thankfully, that city wasn’t that far away.

Castle Town was a rather happy place, and its central square was also a busy marketplace. They decided to buy a few supplies there, since they didn’t know when they would next get the chance to resupply.

They then went to see the place they had gone to Castle Town to see, which was the Temple of Time.

It was a rather large building quite akin to the Sanctuary in Legend’s time. The interior of the building was spacious and had an altar at the back.

There was an inscription at the front of the altar, too.

 _Ye who owns 3 Spiritual Stones_  
_Stand with the Ocarina of Time_  
_And play the Song of Time_

“Well,” Legend noted. “If those ‘Spiritual Stones’ are anything like those Pendants in my time, that would require taking on three dungeons. And it requires a special ocarina, too. So at least the people who created whatever seal made sure to make it extremely difficult to open, not unlike how I had to go through three dungeons before I could get the Master Sword.”

“Yeah,” Hyrule noted. “I’m not sure how Ganon ‘accidentally’ found the door to the Sacred Realm if it’s sealed in here. It seems like something you would have to purposely open.”

“Well, this was kind of a dead end, though either something is about to go horribly wrong or our history misremembered something.”

“Or it could have been time travel, like you mentioned last night,” reminded Hyrule.

“Right. It could have been that.” Legend changed the topic. “So… what are we going to do for the rest of the day? I hear Castle Town has plenty of minigames.”

“Oh, we should play some of them!”


	5. The Edge of Myth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why does our every attempt to figure out this time end up raising more questions?”
> 
> “Your guess is as good as mine. There’s something really odd going on.”

The two Links reconvened later that day in the central square of Castle Town. Legend looked slightly frustrated, though.

“Veteran, did something happen?”

Legend shook his head. “Just that bombchu bowling place. They placed _cuccos_ in the way. I had to wait for them to get _out of the way_ and hope that they wouldn’t _get in the way_ while my bombchu was moving towards the target.”

“Huh. The shooting gallery I went to was kind of simple, but I found it pretty fun.”

They looked around. It was just before nightfall, and the drawbridge would be going up soon.

“Guess we’re going to stay in Castle Town for the night.”

“I noticed what seemed to be well-priced inn over there,” Hyrule pointed down one of the roads. “We should stay there for the night, and maybe we can listen to more of the gossip and find out more of what’s happening around this time.”

△  
△△

Legend wasn’t having much luck falling asleep, so he decided to go look outside for a view of the city.

Hyrule Castle Town was massive compared to the Kakariko of his time. Was all this depopulation because of Ganon?

He could see Hyrule Castle itself in the distance. It looked different than the Hyrule Castle that he knew, but things change over time.

He looked up. It was a bright, nearly full moon. It seemed so close that it almost looked like you could go and touch it.

He lay down on his bed again and tried to clear the thoughts from his head. Maybe if he stopped thinking about so many things at once he could get some rest.

△  
△△

“Didn’t you say that you had a dream about that evil mask that you had in your house the other day?”

Legend startled slightly at Hyrule’s question. “Yes, I think I dd.”

“Huh. I had a similar dream last night. This _can’t_ be a coincidence.”

“But as far as I know that mask is _only_ in my house in my time.”

“This is _very_ weird. I’m hoping that nothing comes of this, but as we all know, dreams can be prophetic.”

They reached the central square of Castle Town when Legend got an idea. “We should go find a library and read up on the legends of this time. Maybe we could get a better idea of when we are.”

The two Links did indeed find a library, and they browsed for the legends of this time.

△  
△△

Hyrule placed his stack of books on the table and noticed Legend hunched over, pulling his hair out while aggravatedly looking at several books at once. Once again, he was thankful for his literacy lessons.

The traveler decided that it was best for him to distract the veteran from whatever was causing him so much grief.

“So the creation legend of Hyrule is basically the same as the ones in your time, and there’s also more detailed stories about the founder of Hyrule. They said that he came from the skies wielding the Blade of Evil’s Bane and the Triforce. They also said that Hyrule held the Triforce for an age, until it was hidden away after dark forces tried to steal it.”

“Interesting.” Legend looked up from his books. “So it would be in the Sacred Realm at this time.”

The veteran gestured down at the books he as looking at. “Apparently there is at least one hero before this time, but these legends are incredibly inconsistent. Some say that one person stopped evil three separate times. Then there are others that say that there was a hero that stopped evil and then a later hero used the same sword to defeat the same evil twice.” He rolled his eyes. “And some say that it happened _four_ times!”

“Would any of this have been when dark forces nearly took the Triforce for themselves?”

“Weirdly enough, _none_ of these mention the Triforce at all. But again, these legends can’t even agree on whether this hero was one person or a group of people. Ugh!”

“Anyway, everything we’ve found out so far seems to indicate that this is _before_ Ganon stole the Triforce,” Hyrule noted.

“Yes, that is what makes the most sense. But _very little_ of this makes any sense!” The veteran groaned.

“Well, you know, stories get distorted through time. I’ve heard some less-than-accurate stories about _you_.”

“That’s got to be the only explanation. If there was a time-travelling incident that happened _before_ this time, I’m pretty sure Nayru would have mentioned it.”

“Earlier, you said that the Link we met earlier looked like he had gone through at least one adventure. Don’t you think it’s odd that nobody has said anything about whatever adventure he had?”

“Yes, it’s definitely odd. If we meet him again, you’ll need to remind me to ask.”

“Why does our every attempt to figure out this time end up raising more questions?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. There’s something really odd going on.”

“Well, I hope at least the Link of this time can tell us what in the world is happening.”


	6. A Small Fishing Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, the Link of this time would probably make good company to fish with. No offense to the traveler, but he didn’t seem to quite… get it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a short one, mainly because I hit a bit of a writer's block thinking of what they're going to be doing while Time/Mask is experiencing the events of _Majora's Mask_.

It was the dawn of the third day after their meeting with the other Link. Hyrule and Legend felt that they should probably return to Kakariko to see if he would return, but some sort of instinct told them that they could wait another couple of days.

So instead, as soon as the sun was up and the Castle Town drawbridge was down, Legend decided to take Hyrule to go fishing. He had gotten directions to the fishing hole at Lake Hylia, and much to his slight irritation that lake was on the other side of Hyrule Field.

He heard that those monsters didn’t appear at Lake Hylia like they did at Hyrule Field, at least, so they could probably spend the night outside.

“Wait, Veteran, didn’t you take me fishing in your own time only a few days ago?”

“I see nothing wrong with this arrangement,” Legend said teasingly. “Plus, you still have a lot to learn about fishing. Remember when you chucked the rod into the lake when you were trying to cast the line?”

Hyrule sighed. “Please don’t remind me of that.”

“We only have to spend another day or two before we find out whether that other Link is going to come back. What else are we going to do?”

△  
△△

Legend was starting to feel irritated at the size of Hyrule Field. Why did travelling through the Hyrule of this time require crossing such a large space?

Hyrule didn’t seem to mind that much, but it was really starting to get on the veteran’s nerves. Why did he have to walk a few hours over an open field just to go fishing?

The Lake Hylia of this time was a lot larger than the one in his time, and it even had a small island in the middle of it. Legend suspected that the island had an entrance to a dungeon. After all his adventures, he had learned to be able to tell where hidden dungeon entrances were.

The two Links walked past a strange looking house and later a small patch with a couple of scarecrows, before arriving at the entrance to the fishing hole.

Legend went and paid the entrance fee of 20 rupees for both himself and the traveler.

Something caught his eye. It was the record for the fishing hole.

18 pounds. It was held by a Link.

Legend chuckled to himself. It seemed like the Link of this time also enjoyed fishing.

The Fishing Hole Man seemed to take notice of Legend’s interest in the record. “It was a Hyrule Loach, too, even though they’re rather rare. I think the kid spent an entire afternoon just fishing when he got it, his patience was what rewarded him in the end.”

Well, the Link of this time would probably make good company to fish with. No offense to the traveler, but he didn’t seem to quite… get it.

Legend glanced at over at Hyrule and watched in amusement as he repeatedly tried and failed to get the fish to bite. Maybe he would have better luck if he tried using a sinking lure.

△  
△△

“You know, Veteran, I had that weird dream about that evil mask again.”

“Same.” Legend stared distantly at Lake Hylia.

“At this point, it’s definitely not a coincidence.”

“No, it isn’t. It kind of feels like one of those prophetic visions, but there’s something slightly… different about them?”

A gorgeous full moon was starting to rise. It looked much bigger when it was at the horizon, as always.

It looked so big and so close, though, as if it could fall out of the sky.

The two Links sat there in silence for a while before Hyrule spoke.

“Which time do you think we’ll be transported to next?”

“I mean, I would like to see how things are in your time. You speak so fondly of it, even though you say that things are really kind of rough there.”

Hyrule nodded, still staring at the moon.

“You know what, it’s nice over here. And it’s nice and peaceful and night too, not like that field.”

“Yeah. Almost a shame we’ll have to get back to Kakariko tomorrow.”

They sat there in silence for another moment.

“That evil mask… do you think we’ll have to deal with it at some point?”

Legend pondered for a moment. “Probably. Hopefully we run into somebody who knows how to properly dispose of it.”


	7. In the Field and In the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link was in the forest once again, trying to remember what he was doing when he entered.

Hyrule yawned and got up as the dawn broke over Lake Hylia. He saw that Legend, who had been keeping watch, was once again staring over the surface of the lake.

Legend seemed to take notice that Hyrule has awake. “Traveler, I was wondering if you were having more nightmares. Because these dreams _definitely_ have to mean something.”

“I was dreaming that the moon was falling.”

“Well, that’s… something.”

Hyrule reached into his pack and grabbed some of the jerky he had on him. He tore it into pieces and ate some of them, while giving other pieces to Legend.

Legend ate some of it and made a face. “Doesn’t taste very nice, but it’ll do.”

Once they had eaten their “breakfast,” they got going for yet _more_ traveling through Hyrule Field.

Hyrule was starting to get tired of seeing it. He liked traveling through large spaces, but not usually the _same_ one over and over again.

Legend was clearly just tired of traveling it in general. But the veteran still maintained that the fishing trip was still worth it.

△  
△△

“Oh no,” Legend said.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what made the veteran say that. There was one of this time’s massive Peahats flying _right at them_.

They unsheathed their swords, but if this Peahat was anything like the Peahats in their time, they knew they would have to wait for it to land before they could attack it.

They quickly realized that this Peahat _wasn’t_ landing.

Legend barely blocked what would have been a nasty scratch by the rotor blades with his shield, and he backed away.

“This Peahat clearly isn’t like the ones in our times!” the veteran shouted over the sounds emanating from the Peahat.

“How do we defeat this one if it won’t land? How can this thing keep on going without landing?” Hyrule shouted back, barely dodging a hit.

“Your guess is as good as mine!” Legend got grazed in the cheek by the Peahat.

The two Links tried to avoid the Peahat for several minutes, but it was stubbornly refusing to land. It should have landed ages ago if it was the Peahats of their time, but clearly these ones were different.

They were somewhat covered in scratches and small cuts before they decided to run as quickly as they could both from the Peahat and towards Kakariko. There was no point in fighting it if they couldn’t figure out just how to slay that thing.

They then realized another problem. This Peahat was faster than them. Legend briefly considered using the Pegasus Boots, but he wasn’t going to leave the traveler behind to be at the mercy of this thing.

So instead, they had to try fighting back until the Peahat backed away a bit, and then run towards Kakariko before it caught up again, and repeat.

It didn’t help that they didn’t know how to kill this thing since it wasn’t behaving like the Peahats they knew.

△  
△△

By the time Legend and Hyrule reached Kakariko, they were scratched up and slightly bruised. At least the Peahat broke its chase as they reached the village.

They were also completely exhausted. They basically agreed to sit on the ground and catch their breath before finding an inn where they could both eat dinner and stay for the night.

△  
△△

Link was in the forest once again, trying to remember what he was doing when he entered.

After all, it may have seemed like he spent four days in Termina, but he had been experiencing the same three days again and again. It was more like he had been on this adventure for months.

He only stuck around to participate in the Carnival of Time the day after he defeated Majora. As soon as the festivities were concluded, he was out of there.

Link had a loose recollection of what happened all that time ago (though to everyone else it was just a few days). He was looking for Navi and had entered the forest.

What would he do now? He was riding Epona towards the forest’s edge, but then that would mean he would be in Hyrule again. What was his purpose there? What would he do?

What use did Hyrule have for a hero when it was at peace?

Link thought for a moment, and then a vague memory came back to him.

He had met a couple of adventurers from… somewhere else. He didn’t remember the details, but if they were going on some sort of quest, maybe they could have use for his skills.

He also recalled that those two reminded Link way too much of himself. He had given them the cold shoulder so he wouldn’t get emotionally attached to him.

It seemed to be the best option, because it looked like it was the only way Link could continue living the way he was.

And save for the sheltered life in the forest that he couldn’t go back to, adventuring and being the Hero was all Link knew.

He recalled something else. They were probably in Kakariko, wondering if he would join them. How convenient.

Link still had his reservations, but he decided that he wanted to know more about the specific nature of their quest before committing to joining them.

Off to Kakariko it was.

He watched the scenery change as he left the outskirts of the forest and found himself on Hyrule Field again. He then turned Epona in the direction of Kakariko and spurred her on.


	8. The Value of Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, um…” Traveler said. “The two of us are on an adventure, but we talked it out and I think you would make a good addition to the team.”
> 
> “Sure,” Link said. “Sign me up.”
> 
> “Really?” The two glanced at each other. They clearly hadn’t expected Link to be this willing to join, especially given how standoffish and cold he had been previously.

Link stared out over Hyrule Field for a moment, before dismounting Epona. He could always call her later using her song.

He played the Nocturne of Shadow on the Ocarina of Time and let the instrument’s magic send him over to the Kakariko graveyard. He climbed over the fence and ledge that separated the Shadow Temple’s entrance from the rest of the graveyard and walked into the village through the back entrance.

Link hadn’t had much of a chance to visit Kakariko since the end of his first adventure. But much the same as he remembered, a relatively small and cozy village compared to the bustle of Castle Town. It wouldn’t be the significantly larger town that it was when Ganon had taken over and razed Castle Town, because Zelda undid that future and Link prevented it from coming to pass.

Link paused for a moment. Of course things weren’t any different. To anyone else, the time since he was last in Hyrule was only a few days, not a month. The kingdom was much the same, but Link was a changed person, with different gear, and a lot of masks.

Even now, he was wearing the Keaton mask on the side of his face. It was both a reminder of how he had helped people on his first adventure (when he had gotten one for the guardsman at Death Mountain Trail) and also people’s gratitude in Termina (when he had helped reunite Kafei and Anju).

Wait, Link almost seemed sentimental. He reminded himself that he shouldn’t get too attached to anyone. He feared that people _would_ understand and comfort him, but then leave or be separated from him.

Much like what had happened with Navi.

His train of thought went on, and then he started thinking about what he would do after his adventures were over.

He had decided to check up on those two adventurers he met in Hyrule Field, the ones calling themselves Traveler and Veteran, because he was hoping he would be brought on another adventure. After all, he had known only two ways of life. There was his idyllic childhood in the forest, which he could never return to, and his life as an adventurer and hero.

He grappled with the question of what purpose his life would have before his second adventure, but Termina gave him a pretty clear role. Prevent the moon from crashing, retrieve Majora’s Mask and destroy the evil being inside of it.

But now that he was back in Hyrule, what would he do now? He was their hero, but nobody knew that. Hyrule was also at peace and had no need for a hero.

Link reminded himself of the words the Happy Mask Salesman left him with after Link defeated the mask.

“Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time... That is up to you.”

He was parted from his friends when his entire first adventure was undone. He had been afraid of reconnecting with them as a result, due to how familiar they were to him despite them not knowing him. But maybe he could reconnect with some of them? Zelda and Malon both knew him a bit.

Actually, thinking about it, those two adventurers could probably advise him on what a hero does in between adventures.

△  
△△

Link found Traveler and Veteran looking winded and a bit battered, sitting near the entrance. Did they run into a Peahat or something?

He waved at them to gain their attention. “Hi.”

Traveler and Veteran noticed Link’s presence and looked at each other a bit awkwardly. It was the Veteran who spoke up. “Hey, Link.”

There was an awkward silence. It seemed like none of them wanted to be the next to speak up.

“So, um…” Traveler said. “The two of us are on an adventure, but we talked it out and I think you would make a good addition to the team.”

“Sure,” Link said. “Sign me up.”

“Really?” The two glanced at each other. They clearly hadn’t expected Link to be this willing to join, especially given how standoffish and cold he had been previously.

“Yes, sure. Now, did you ever tell me about the specific nature of your adventure?”

Veteran sighed for a moment. “Did we tell you that we’re not from around here?”

“Yes, what of it?”

“It wasn’t technically a lie. We’re from Hyrule, but from what we could tell about your time we’re from a Hyrule in the future. We’re on some sort of time travelling adventure.”

“Time travel?” Link said incredulously. Of all the things he could have run into for a third adventure, _more time travel?_ “That’s incredibly dangerous, you know. Didn’t you hear about what happened to the Hero of Time?”

“No… I actually haven’t heard of him,” Veteran admitted.

“Exactly,” Link said. “He erased himself from history in trying to undo a great evil.”

Link was of course talking about himself, not that they would know it. Especially since he _was_ doomed to be forgotten and erased from the history books. At least it was better than letting Ganon take control.

“I can unfortunately say that I have had experience in time travelling,” Veteran said. “I know someone who almost killed their own distant ancestor.”

Link winced. Looks like someone else was uniquely unlucky enough to have to put up with time travel.

Veteran changed the subject. “Anyway, didn’t we also tell you that Traveler and I had the same names?”

“Yes. Is that another half-truth, or…”

“It’s actually true, but we didn’t tell you our names,” Veteran said. “His name is Link, and my name Link. We’re both heroes of our own times.”

“Well… that would explain the nicknames,” Link said. “Since I clearly can’t go by ‘Link,’ what should I go by?”

“Hm, our nicknames come from attributes about us. The traveler did a lot of traveling, hence his name. I’m the veteran since I have gone on way too many adventures.”

“Well then,” Link said. He then remembered he was wearing the Keaton mask on the side of his face. Pretty distinctive if anything. “Call me Mask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Mask properly joins the group!
> 
> This fic is going to get a fair bit angstier after this point. Nothing too horrible, but be warned.


	9. Time is a Fickle Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Uh, Mask, is this the kind of thing that usually happens in your Hyrule?” Legend asked.
> 
> “No… I haven’t seen anything like this before.” Mask answered.

Hyrule was starting to appreciate traveling with other people. Since he usually journeyed alone, he was used to doing everything himself, having to look out for himself, and generally being independent.

The other two Links were pretty used to being on their own, too. In fact, Mask seemed to be a bit distant, like he didn’t want to get attached to everybody. Legend was much the same, but better hidden and to a lesser extent.

Actually, Mask and Legend had a lot in common. They had both gone time traveling at some point (though Mask refused to provide details), they both had a rather cynical outlook, they both had a ton of items that seemed to have strangely niche uses, and they both apparently played the ocarina.

Hyrule himself wasn’t too different from those two. He also played an instrument and didn’t really like opening up to others (though that was from trust issues from being pursued by cultists). Though he hadn’t time traveled and wasn’t nearly as cynical as the veteran or the boy was.

Maybe being closed off and playing music was just a common trait for heroes.

Legend had quickly grown attached to the traveler, and almost seemed protective of him. Not that he would admit it.

Meanwhile, Legend and Mask had started bonding over their similarities, even though Mask almost seemed _afraid_ of getting attached to others.

△  
△△

Hyrule recalled a discussion from the previous night, when, to pass the time, the inevitable question of what Mask experienced was brought up.

“Nothing much,” Mask had said. “I prevented an evil from taking over Hyrule, and I also went on an adventure after that.”

“Isn’t there more to the story though?” Hyrule had said. Mask just gave him a troubled stare.

“You don’t have to tell if you don’t want to,” the veteran had said. He would know, there was a reason why nobody knew what happened in his fourth adventure.

“Anyway,” Legend continued. “The traveler and I both defeated Ganon. I defeated him three separate times, actually.”

Mask visibly paled. “No… that _can’t_ be…”

“Is there something wrong?” Hyrule asked.

“I _prevented_ Ganon from taking control. I made sure that the only entrance to the Sacred Realm would stay beyond his reach, and there’s no way he could be a danger to Hyrule.”

“You say this, when apparently Ganon is planning to invade Hyrule,” Legend noted.

“So you heard?” Mask said. “That won’t matter. He literally _can’t_ succeed. Did you see the Temple of Time? Behind the Door of Time sits the Master Sword. You can only enter the Sacred Realm by pulling the sword.”

“Well, if it was indeed sealed behind the Master Sword, then Ganon couldn’t have gotten it.” Legend said. “And yet, for some reason, in the history of my time, Ganon somehow got the Triforce.”

Mask took a deep breath. “There _was_ a timeline where Ganon entered the Sacred Realm and took the Triforce, but it shouldn’t exist anymore. Do you happen to have heard of the Seven Sages?”

“Yes, they sealed away Ganon.”

“And yet you have not heard of the Hero of Time.”

“No,” Hyrule said. “Who was this ‘Hero of Time’ anyway? You mentioned him earlier, you said that he erased himself from history.”

“Yes. That timeline was erased and its hero was erased with it. But even if it continued existing, and you came from that timeline, then you should have heard about the hero that wielded the Master Sword against him and aided the Sages.”

“Wait,” the veteran said. “The history of my time said that the Sages couldn’t find a hero to wield the Master Sword.”

“Ugh.” Mask groaned loudly. “This is why I’ve come to hate time travel. _Absolutely f**king nothing makes sense._ ”

Strong language from a 10-year-old, but Hyrule didn’t question it. From what Legend had already told him, time travel was good only for inducing headaches.

Hyrule spoke up. “Uh, Mask? How do you know so much about this Hero of Time?”

“It’s a very long story. Not worth getting into. But I needed the knowledge about him and his timeline so I could prevent the same mistakes from being made.” Mask was obviously not telling the whole story, but Hyrule figured he shouldn’t pry further.

△  
△△

They had gotten to know a few other things about Mask. His hero title was apparently the “Hero of Termina.” He had a _lot_ of masks, which could be used for a variety of situations.

Hyrule was almost reminded of Legend’s hoard of items, though Mask’s collection of masks were far smaller than that.

His sword and shield were different from when they first met him. His sword was longer and was inlaid with gold, and Legend noted that the craftsmanship on the blade was pretty good. His circular shield was reflective like Legend’s Mirror Shield, but it also had the design of a mouth open in some sort of grimace or scream.

He also had a sword called the “Great Fairy’s Sword,” which was larger than Mask was. It was a wonder that he could wield it.

That night, Hyrule had realized that they were slowly falling into their own group roles, even though they were used to working alone. They even jokingly came up with a name for their group.

They were the Chain, made up of Links.

But that had already happaned, and was in the past.

It was now midday, and they were traveling in the middle of Hyrule Field.

They didn’t have any particular destination in mind, but fate would almost certainly find a way to send them to their next destination.

As if on cue, a dark archway appeared out of nowhere. The three Links just stared at it.

“Uh, Mask, is this the kind of thing that usually happens in your Hyrule?” Legend asked.

“No… I haven’t seen anything like this before.” Mask answered.

“I feel dark magic emanating off of it. It was created by some shadow being. Probably the shadow that’s threatening Hyrule throughout time. But this feels more like… a gateway.”

“So does it go to another time?”

“Seems like it.”

“So, I guess this is where we go next?”

“Well, let’s get going then.”

And so the Chain walked through the portal.

△  
△△

They were in a wide open expanse, even larger than Mask’s Hyrule. They were in between two forests.

Hyrule recognized it. “Oh, this is my Hyrule! I know where we are. We’re a day’s travel north of Rauru Town.”

“Wait, did you say Rauru?” Mask seemed taken aback.

“It’s the name of a town. Is there something wrong?”

“No, nothing wrong.” Mask said, still looking shaken.

“Anyway, we’re about five days’ travel east of the Northern Palace, which is where I want to go. There’s people there who are probably worried about my absence, and I want to let them know I’m on another quest.”

“Lead the way then, traveler,” Legend said.

“Well, we can follow the road. It’s the option that makes us the safest from monster attacks. Or…” Hyrule said with a glint in his eye, “we could take a shortcut through the forest and save a day or two. Though the monsters may be a bit of a problem.”

“Let’s take the shortcut,” Mask said. “We’ve all been through danger before, so a small shortcut shouldn’t be a problem to _three_ heroes.”

“While I would prefer just staying on the road… fine.” Legend grumbled.


	10. Of the Heroes' Legacies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mask was insistent on saying little about his journeys. But from what he had said, there was no way Ganon should have gotten the Triforce. And yet he somehow did.
> 
> Legend was pretty sure Mask was pretty guilty about the state of this Hyrule. After all, for some reason, Ganon managed to steal the Triforce despite Mask’s efforts. Mask was probably thinking that he didn’t do enough to prevent Ganon’s takeover.

Legend couldn’t help but notice a couple things about the traveler’s Hyrule.

First of all, Hyrule seemed at home here. It shouldn’t have been that surprising, but Hyrule was usually a bit timid and nervous (though that didn’t make him any less of a hero). Here, he was much more confident, and he knew his way around here.

From what Legend had been told about Hyrule’s adventures, any reasonable person in his situation would be about as skittish as the traveler had been. What with the disguised monsters pretending to be villagers and cultists out for his blood, Legend would have been paranoid too.

Secondly, the traveler’s Hyrule was… massive, yet frankly quite barren. Traversing it required a lot of travel, which made Hyrule’s nickname make much more sense.

However, the chain had been walking for a while now, and if this were Legend’s or Mask’s Hyrule, they would have reached another place by now. Not here. Just more open space. There was also not as much plant life as expected for the wilderness.

The veteran felt a bit of guilt over the state of Hyrule’s Hyrule. This was the future of the land Legend had fought so hard to save. The future Legend had tried to secure.

Hyrule had reassured Legend that he did everything he could have done, but Legend still felt kind of bad. After all, in the end, Ganon only came back and made everything the veteran had fought for all for naught. No amount of the traveler’s reassurances could completely assuage Legend’s guilt.

Legend glanced at Mask. The boy also seemed somewhat disturbed, but he said nothing about it.

Now Mask… Mask was insistent on saying little about his journeys. But from what he had said, there was no way Ganon should have gotten the Triforce. And yet he somehow did.

Legend was pretty sure Mask was pretty guilty about the state of this Hyrule. After all, for some reason, Ganon managed to steal the Triforce despite Mask’s efforts. Mask was probably thinking that he didn’t do enough to prevent Ganon’s takeover.

Or maybe Legend was just projecting on Mask.

Legend’s thoughts were cut short when the three Links were jumped by a few weak monsters. But they were no match for three seasoned heroes. As they got back to traveling, Legend immersed himself in his thinking once again.

△  
△△

The forest was rather dark, as the tree cover filtered out a lot of sunlight. They continued traveling despite that. As they continued, the remaining light started to fade away. The sun was clearly setting.

At some point, Hyrule stopped them. “It’s getting late, and we should set up camp. We have to be well-rested, so we don’t have to fight monsters while sleep-deprived.”

“I mean, if you say so…”

Hyrule was the authority on the Hyrule of his time. He knew how to navigate it and to survive in this dangerous land. So if he said to stop for the night, they would have to listen.

The three Links started setting up camp. Since all three of them were experienced adventures, this was simple and uneventful.

They would need a campfire, so Hyrule went to fetch some firewood, leaving Legend and Mask back at camp.

They sat there in silence, before Legend tried to break the silence.

“I think this might be the first time we actually camped together. When Traveler and I were in my Hyrule, we stayed at either my house or Hyrule Castle, and when we were in yours, we stayed at inns in the towns since Hyrule Field was too dangerous at night.”

Mask raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

They just sat there for a few moments, doing nothing.

Legend took out his ocarina and brought it to his mouth. He hesitated for a moment, but then started playing on it to pass the time.

He stopped after a while, and noticed that Mask had taken out his own, bright blue, ocarina.

“So…” Legend said. “What kind of tunes do you know?”

Mask shrugged. “I know a bunch of warp songs. There’s also this really catchy tune, but it’ll make it rain and you’ll both get angry at me since we’ll get drenched.”

“Yeah, please don’t play that.”

“There’s also this song that leaves behind this statue of me that looks a bit… off. It’s slightly unsettling.” Mask paused and thought for a moment. “Oh, I know.”

He played a catchy, playful tune.

“Oh, that’s a nice song,” Legend said.

Mask nodded. “A close friend taught it to me. It reminds me of life before I started adventuring.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.” Mask’s face darkened. “Though I can’t go back to those days anymore. I won’t be able to see my childhood friends anymore.”

Legend nodded sadly. “There are… people who I never will be able to see again, no matter how much I want to.”

There was an awkward silence, as neither of the Links wanted to say anything more. They were both too afraid to open up to each other.

Legend changed the topic. “Is it just me, or is Traveler’s Hyrule a bit… empty?”

Mask sighed. “No hard feelings towards him… but…” He trailed off.

Legend nodded. “I… just feel like everything I done was for nothing. Despite everything I went through to stop Ganon, he still brought ruin to Hyrule regardless.”

Mask chuckled bitterly. “Imagine how _I_ feel.”

Another awkward pause.

Mask spoke up. “I _do_ want to know how Ganon got hold of the Triforce though. You said it was by accident?”

Legend nodded. “All our history books just say that Ganon and his minions found the Sacred Realm purely by accident.”

“You’d think that when an evil arose in Hyrule, there would have been a hero to stop it.”

Legend sighed. “Yeah, I still don’t know why the Sages couldn’t find a hero to wield the Master Sword.”

“I’m curious, what heroes _have_ you heard of?”

“Well, there’s the legendary founder of Hyrule.”

“Ah, yes. The one who was said to come from the skies wielding the Master Sword and the Triforce.”

“Also, in my time, there’s this strange legend that is told sometimes, though I haven’t seen it backed up in the history books I’ve read about the time.”

“Do tell.” Mask looked genuinely curious.

“It claims that there _was_ someone who tried to stop Ganon from taking the Triforce, but he failed. He’s referred to as the Fallen Hero.”

“Ah.” Mask thought for a moment. “Do you blame this ‘Fallen Hero’ for the condition of your time and this time?”

“I mean, if the stories were true, I probably would.”

“So you don’t believe them then.”

“No, I don’t.”

There was silence.

“If the story _was_ true and you met this Fallen Hero, what would you tell him?”

“Hm, that’s a tricky question,” Legend admitted. “Maybe give him some advice so that he _wouldn’t_ fail?”

“Ah, so you would erase an entire history in an attempt to prevent a wrong.” Mask noted. “You would probably negate your existence in the process.”

“I’m no stranger to temporal paradoxes, you know. But I’ve never started an extremely serious one myself.” Legend chuckled slightly.

Mask rolled his eyes. “They’re even more headache-inducing than normal time travel. I wouldn’t recommend it. And again, I’d remind you about what happened to the Hero of Time.”

“Yes, yes. You keep talking about him. He erased an entire timeline to undo whatever Ganon did.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to end up like the Hero of Time did.”

△  
△△

Hyrule finally returned to camp, carrying a pile of firewood.

“Sorry it took a while, it must have rained recently. It was extra hard getting dry wood that would light easily.” Hyrule placed the wood on the ground, where the three Links started arranging the wood to make a campfire out of.

Fire rods made lighting the campfire a trivial task. They sat around the fire for a few minutes when the dreaded question came up.

“Who’s cooking tonight?”

Mask shook his head. “Don’t look at me, I can’t cook.”

Unfortunately for everyone, Hyrule was the one cooking. Legend and Mask gagged their way through dinner.


	11. Things that Fade into Legends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, speaking of people who are honored in this time, Veteran is talked about in many legends around here. I think the castle might even have sculptures of him.”
> 
> “I am somehow not surprised by this.”
> 
> “Some of the stories they tell about the Hero of Legend are… less than accurate, though.”

Hyrule felt right at home in his time.

It was the next day, and the Links were quick to break camp and continue traveling to the Northern Palace.

Hyrule knew that the Zeldas were probably worried sick over him. He had promised to return from his trip to the forest northwest of the palace the day after he left. Instead, he had gotten whisked to Legend’s time, where the two found out that they needed to stop some shadow that was threatening Hyrule (the kingdom) throughout time.

Hyrule wondered how they would react when he would tell them that he had a third quest to do. Or that the grumpy person in the red tunic was _the_ Hero of Legend.

Said Hero of Legend was walking a few feet back from Hyrule and Mask, who were walking side-by-side.

Both Legend and Mask were taking in their surroundings. Hyrule realized that their times were perhaps more crowded than his, and they might be disquieted over the state of his Hyrule.

Especially Legend.

“Uh, Mask?” Hyrule asked.

“Yeah?”

“Is there something with Veteran?”

Mask hesitated for a moment. “I think he just feels a bit… guilty over things in your time. Like… as if he was responsible for Hyrule’s decline.”

Oh, right. Hyrule recalled that he had to reassure the veteran that his adventures weren’t for nothing. Looks like he would have to be told that again.

“He’s wrong, you know. He saved Hyrule. This time likely wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for him.”

Mask nodded.

Now, as for Mask, Mask was an interesting person. He had this… fae-like quality to him. Like if he had a special connection to fairies.

Hyrule would know. He had _been_ a fairy more than once. He spoke their language, he knew quite a few of them.

The fae part of him felt _drawn towards_ the boy.

Mask also seemed… slightly bothered over something about the traveler’s Hyrule. Especially the town names.

“So, Mask… Why did you react the way you did when I mentioned Rauru Town? It seemed like you recognized it.”

Mask pondered the question for a moment. “Rauru is the name of one of the Seven Sages in my time.” He paused again. “Are all the town names things that I recognize?”

“Well, there’s also Ruto Town, Saria Town, Mido Town, Nabooru Town, Darunia Town, and Kasuto Town.”

Hyrule noticed that Mask had turned pale.

“I recognize almost all of those names. Saria, Darunia, Ruto, and Nabooru are also Sages in my time. Mido is a… person I know. Though I’ve never heard of a ‘Kasuto.’”

“I’ll have to ask Aurora if she knows about the names.”

“Aurora?”

“There’s two Zeldas in my time. Aurora is the one who slumbered for an age and was born closer to Veteran’s time than mine.”

“Ah.” Mask nodded. He seemed to ponder something. “Perhaps the towns were named in veneration of the Sages?”

“Sounds likely, given what Legend has told me about the importance of the Sages.”

“Oh, I know firsthand about the importance of the Sages. Though it still feels… weird… that these towns are all named after so many people I’ve met and gotten to know.”

“Oh, speaking of people who are honored in this time, Veteran is talked about in many legends around here. I think the castle might even have sculptures of him.”

“I am somehow not surprised by this.”

“Some of the stories they tell about the Hero of Legend are… less than accurate, though.”

“I look forward to Veteran’s reaction when he hears some of them.” Mask gave a mischievous smile to Hyrule.

They walked in silence for several more moments, when Hyrule realized that there was something he wanted to know of Mask.

“Oh, Mask, how do you have all this time-travelling experience? I know Veteran had to do time travel in his adventure in Labrynna, I’m wondering if you did something similar?”

Mask sighed. “I can unfortunately say that I have experienced time travel before. Again, I would like to remind you to try not to end up like the Hero of Time. He met with a terrible fate.”

“How do you know about the Hero of Time when you say he erased himself trying to undo things?”

“I found out along the way, about what happened and what mistakes were done and undone. Allowed me to warn Zelda to prevent those mistakes from being repeated.”

Hyrule knew he wasn’t telling the full story, but he also understood that Mask probably wouldn’t tell him a more definitive answer.

They walked in mores silence for another minute when Mask spoke up.

“Veteran mentioned these stories of a ‘Fallen Hero.’ What do you think of those legends?”

Hyrule mulled over the question for a moment. “I hadn’t heard of the Fallen Hero until I met Veteran.”

“Do you believe them?”

“Not really, though again there aren’t many stories left from before the Hero of Legend. We don’t even have Hyrule’s creation myth.”

“Apparently Veteran doesn’t either. We had a little chat about this Fallen Hero last night while you were getting firewood.” Mask thought for a moment. “I think I’ll ask you the question that I asked him. If you ever met the Fallen Hero, what would you say to him?”

“He did the best he could. It’s just unfortunate that he didn’t make it through in the end, but it’s not his fault.”

“Interesting.” Mask seemed surprised.

“Well, I almost failed at multiple points in my journeys, I just happened to pull through. Some of them were just because of pure luck. Does that make me less of a hero?”

“No…”

“Exactly.”

Well, that exchange also served to bolster Hyrule’s confidence. He felt almost inadequate compared with Mask and Legend, who knew a lot about legends that were long lost by Hyrule’s time. Mask was even familiar with the existence of the Master Sword, though he seemed distasteful of it.

Mask’s words reinforced what Legend had already told him, however. His actions clearly spoke to his heroism and to his courage.

“Hm…” Hyrule surveyed the landscape around him. “We should be at the palace in a day or two if we continue at our current pace. I want to get there as soon as possible, as again, the Zeldas are probably worried sick about my whereabouts.”


	12. The Castle in the Lake's Center

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora and Dawn glanced at each other. “Those sculptures didn’t quite get you right, did they?”
> 
> “Wait- Sculptures of me? W-What?”
> 
> Hyrule looked at an increasingly red Legend and grinned awkwardly. “Did I forget to tell you? Oops.”

They had neared a large lake by nightfall. They could see the outline of something in the distance, out in the middle of the lake.

“That’s Northern Palace,” Hyrule explained. “It was constructed on an island in the middle, and there’s a land bridge that goes from the shores of this lake to the castle. I don’t think there’s any particular danger so close to the castle, but just to make sure we should camp here for the night and go to the palace the next day.”

△  
△△

Even though it was probably safe, Hyrule insisted that they take watches for the night anyway. After all, one could never be too sure.

Night passed uneventfully, so at morning they broke camp and headed for the castle.

Northern Palace wasn’t exactly Hyrule Castle, but it was still large and magnificent.

Legend looked around the large entrance hall and reminded himself that this was only part of Hyrule’s former splendor. It seemed to be a bit old and almost decrepit in places, but it was still being maintained. Much like Traveler’s Hyrule.

Maybe this time did have some redeeming qualities.

Legend’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone shout “LINK!”

There were two women, who were presumably Aurora and Dawn from what Hyrule had told him. They rushed to Hyrule.

“Link, we were worried sick! You just disappeared and where was no sign of you anywhere!”

“Where were you anyway? Why did you just disappear without a trace?”

Hyrule looked sheepish. “Uh, hi, Aurora and Dawn. It’s kind of a long story.”

△  
△△

Hyrule explained everything that had happened.

Aurora and Dawn turned towards Legend. “So you’re the Hero of Legend himself?”

Legend felt blood rushing into his face. “Uh… yes.”

They glanced at each other. “Those sculptures didn’t quite get you right, did they?”

“Wait- Sculptures of me? W-What?”

Hyrule looked at an increasingly red Legend and grinned awkwardly. “Did I forget to tell you? Oops.”

The traveler changed the subject to spare Legend further embarrassment. “Have you heard any reports of strange occurrences, like portals or increased monster sightings?”

“Nothing the swordsmen out in the towns can’t handle,” Dawn noted. “Though Aurora and I have been having some likely prophetic dreams.”

“There definitely _is_ a new threat approaching, then, even if it hasn’t come close enough to cause increased monster activity, then.” Hyrule nodded. “Good to know. Also, how’s it been looking after the Triforce?”

“The Triforce is doing fine.” Aurora said. “We’re planning on using its power to the benefit of the kingdom, like it was done during the Golden Age, but harnessing it isn’t exactly the easiest task.”

△  
△△

They decided to stay in Northern Palace for a couple of nights to rest before they set out to go to wherever they needed to go next.

After they ate dinner, Hyrule found Legend at a balcony overlooking the lake. He looked lost in thought.

“Is there something wrong?” Hyrule asked.

“I just needed some fresh air, Traveler.” Legend turned to face Hyrule. “I’ve just had a lot to think about.”

“Is it about Mask?”

“Well, partially. From what he’s told me and what we know from the legends of my time, there’s something strange going on.”

“Didn’t you say this when we were in Mask’s Hyrule?”

“Well, yes. But… Mask kept referring to this ‘Hero of Time’ who erased himself from history. That’s a paradox, it shouldn’t really be possible, and the fact that it happened is kind of troubling.”

“How so?”

“I’ve seen paradoxes barely get averted in Labrynna. A friend of mine almost killed their own distant ancestor. I shudder to think what would have happened to the flow of time if they actually appeared.”

Hyrule chuckled slightly. “I see your point. That _would_ have been be pretty bad.”

They stared out over the surface of the lake, which reflected the setting sun in shades of orange and yellow. They could see clouds, tinted orange from the setting sun, above in the sky and below in the lake’s reflection.

“You know, Traveler,” Legend said. “I had some misgivings about your Hyrule, but at least this view is pretty darn amazing. Kind of puts things in perspective.”

Hyrule raised an eyebrow.

Legend continued. “Our visit here made me finally realize that even though this Hyrule is pretty empty, we can still rebuild. Your time even has the Triforce again, for the first time since my adventures. I might have been a bit judging at first, and… I’m sorry for that, Traveler.”

“Thank you.”

Legend stared out at the horizon. “I feel like… like the future is still in capable hands despite all of the bad things that have happened between our times. Like there’s still hope.”

They stood there, watching the sun set. Several minutes had passed when Mask found them.

“Oh, that’s where you are!” Mask said. “I was wondering what you two were doing.”

“Hey, Mask,” Hyrule said. “We’re just watching the sun set. The view’s beautiful. Care to join us?”

“Sure, I guess.”


	13. A Pair of Masks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legend looked up. Mask had turned deathly pale and stared in horror at the evil heart-shaped mask. He looked shell-shocked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you've read [ Chapter 5 of A Hyrule To The Past](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28167603/chapters/69476565) first, or this may not make too much sense.

After they spend a couple of days at Northern Palace, they said their goodbyes to Aurora and Dawn, and started traveling again.

They weren’t sure what they were looking for, but they figured that they would find out soon.

Legend’s mood had clearly improved, and he was more openly chatting with Hyrule and Mask.

Of course, their usual travelling routine was interrupted when a portal popped up in front of them.

They exchanged looks. “I take it this is where we’re going next,” Legend said.

“Seems like it,” Hyrule agreed.

“Well, lets go then,” Mask said.

And so they walked through the portal together.

△  
△△

They found themselves in a plain that had small ponds.

“This is my Hyrule,” Legend said. “My house is some ways north of here. We can rest there, and I could go send word to Hyrule Castle, maybe ask Zelda if there’s any new developments since we last were in this time.”

“Oh, Mask, this is your first time in Veteran’s Hyrule, right?” Hyrule asked.

“Yes, it is. Is there anything I should know?”

“Just… look out for all of Veteran’s stuff. He has a massive hoard of items, and I don’t think he could pack all of them.”

“I’ll… keep that in mind.”

△  
△△

Legend pointed at his front door. “We’re here.” He opened the door and ushered them inside.

“Please be seated,” the veteran said, taking one of his own. Hyrule sat next to him.

Wait, where was Mask?

“No no no no no no no no…”

Legend looked up. Mask had turned deathly pale and stared in horror at the evil heart-shaped mask. He looked shell-shocked.

“No no no how could this happen no no no no…”

He then walked up and seized the mask.

“Mask, wait! That mask’s dangerous!”

Mask turned towards Legend with eyes that stared through him.

“I know.”

There was something incredibly broken about Mask’s voice.

He then opened the door and left.

Hyrule and Legend looked at each other in a mixture of horror and disbelief. They then got up and ran through the door.

They stopped in their tracks when they saw what was happening outside.

Mask was outside, running. He stopped, and flung the mask to the ground.

The mask’s eyes started to glow, and it started to float.

Mask took something from his bag. It was a mask that resembled an older version of Mask, except with red and blue facial markings and white hair.

He put it on. Mask let out a groan and then a scream, and then there was a brilliant flash.

In Mask’s place stood a giant. He was 11 feet tall, and wore a white cap and tunic with silver armor. Strapped to his back was a massive helical blade that was almost as large as the giant was.

The heart-shaped mask grew long tentacles out of its back.

“So…” the giant boomed. “We meet again.” He hefted the massive sword, wielding it effortlessly.

The mask attacked, spinning in a circle and trying to ram the giant. The giant simply swatted it away with his sword, sending it to the ground. With a great “Hyah!” the giant struck the mask with the sword, sending it flying.

The mask lifted up and tried to fire a ball of energy at the giant, but the giant simply jumped to the side. He thrust his sword through the air, shooting a beam of energy at the mask.

The sword beam hit the mask, once again knocking it to the ground.

The giant leapt in the air with a shout and brought his sword down onto the mask. It was sent flying again.

The mask then floated in midair, and sprouted thin legs, arms, and a single eye as a head. It made a few weird clucking noises before running circles around the giant.

Or at least, the being _would_ have run circles around the giant had it not been struck by another sword beam. And another. And another.

The being let out screeches of pain as it was struck by the sword beams. The giant then started repeatedly stabbing it with his double helix blade.

The being had managed to get away from the giant, and bulked up its arms and legs. It looked more humanoid now, though multicolored and with three eyes on its head. It swung around dual-wielded whips.

The being swung its whips at the giant, but they were blocked. It then tried sending metal spinning… things at the giant, but a single swipe of the massive sword sent them flying.

The giant stunned the being with a sword beam, before striking it with his sword repeatedly.

The being writhed in pain, before glowing and dissolving in a flash of light.

The purple heart-shaped mask fell onto the ground, but Hyrule could no longer feel dark magic radiating from it.

Everything was still for what seemed to be an eternity. Then, the giant turned around to face the two Links.

The giant’s face resembled the mask Mask had put on. There were blue and red marking on his face, and his hair was white.

His eyes were solid white, and horribly blank.

Before Hyrule or Legend could react, the giant held the point of his massive sword under Legend’s chin, just barely not touching his neck.

“Why did you have that mask with you?” the giant asked.

“I… I wanted to keep it away from others, so that nobody could use it for evil.”

“Ah.” The giant’s mouth curled up into a sneer. “So you are merely a fool, then.”

He pulled back his sword and put it back into its resting place on his back.

“Who- _What_ are you?” Hyrule managed out.

“I am a god.” The giant paused for a moment. “But most usually call me… the Fierce Deity.”

The Fierce Deity paused for a moment.

“I know who you two are, Hero of Hyrule, Hero of Legend. But I’m not sure whether you have my host’s interests to heart.”

“Why would you say that?”

The Fierce Deity noticed that his left hand was starting to lift up towards his head. He forced his left arm down with his other hand. “Ah, my host wants out. I’ll let him out, but I think I will stay in control… just a little bit longer.”

“Now,” the Deity continued. “my host clearly did not tell you why you may not have his best interests to heart. So I will tell you now. Both of your entire existences owe themselves to my host’s failure.”

“What?”

“You heard me correctly. I believe that your legends even call him the ‘Fallen Hero.’”

Hyrule and Legend stared at each other in disbelief.

“But… but he succeeded in defeating Ganon!”

“Not in this timeline,” the Deity responded simply.

He smiled uncannily. “Well, I’ll be going now. Be seeing you.”

The Fierce Deity raised his right hand in mock farewell, letting go of his left arm. His left hand immediately moved towards his head, grabbed at the back of his cheek, and pulled.

There was a flash, and Mask was back, holding that mask again.

The boy immediately collapsed, and Hyrule and Legend rushed to him.


	14. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, at the very least, we should strive to help him get over what he’s gone through. He’s definitely experienced far too much for someone so young.”

Hyrule and Legend quickly checked Mask.

“He’s unconscious, mainly from exhaustion.” Hyrule said. “He needs rest, and maybe a green potion.”

Legend nodded, picking up Mask.

They carried the unconscious boy into Legend’s house and laid him on a bed.

“I… I think that the most we can do now is wait for him to recover,” said the traveler.

They left the house to let Mask rest, before giving troubled looks to each other.

“Was what the Fierce Deity said true?” Hyrule asked. “About him being the Fallen Hero?”

Legend continued walking and picked up the now inert mask.

“He said that he failed _in this timeline._ ” He looked up at Hyrule. “That seems to explain something, doesn’t it?”

“What?”

“I… I think that Nayru sent us to another timeline, after some sort of split. Maybe that was what she was referring to.”

He paused and looked down at the mask again. It seemed to stare into his soul, even though it was now just a mask.

“The evil being that resided in this mask was killed by the Fierce Deity, at least. That’s one less thing I should worry about.”

“I’m still… quite disturbed at Mask’s reaction to seeing it, though.” Hyrule said. “It looked like he recognized it.”

“Was it something he fought on one of his adventures?” Legend shrugged. “I think the only way we’ll find out is if Mask tells us.”

“He’s quite the secretive person.”

“He’s not alone in that.” Legend chuckled bitterly. “Though he might feel compelled to explain what happened.”

Legend paused for a moment. “Huh. Split timelines. I’ve messed with the flow of time a fair bit myself, but not enough to split an entire timeline.”

“Well, from what he’s said, entire timelines have been erased before.”

“Still. I guess that explains why Mask’s time seems to correspond with the time before the Imprisoning War except that there’s several crucial things different.” Legend sighed. “He’s a _boy_ , though. No wonder why he failed in this timeline. Why did the goddesses put the weight of the world on someone so young?”

“You could say the same of me, I started when I was 10.”

“Wow, Traveler. You make me feel old when I say I started when I was 13.”

The two chuckled slightly, but it was subdued. The things that happened earlier weighed too heavily on their minds.

“But still,” Legend said. “Remind me to deck the goddesses for doing this to us. And at such a young age, too.”

They sat at the front of Legend’s house, gazing over southern Hyrule.

“Veteran, you know, if I were told only a few weeks ago that I would be travelling with the Hero of Legend, I wouldn’t believe it.”

“Well, you always have to expect the unexpected.”

“Well,” Hyrule paused for a moment. “I also never really expected the actual Hero of Legend to be… so cynical… about everything. Like… the hero in the legends was _perfect_. Someone to strive to be like, but impossible to perfectly imitate. But…”

“But I’m human.”

“Exactly.”

“For the record, while this idealized version of me might make a fine role model, you do _not_ want to actually be like me. I’ve seen things that nobody should have to go through. I’ve lost things…”

Legend trailed off, clearly not wanting to complete his sentence.

“But, Traveler, I think you’re fine the way you are. You don’t have to be like me. I think you _shouldn’t_ try to be like me. Just… be yourself.”

They sat in silence for a bit longer, watching clouds pass.

“Will Mask be alright?”

“Seems like it.”

“Good.” Legend nodded. He hesitated before speaking again.

“I’m kind of worried for Mask. He kind of reminds me of myself, and not in a good way.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” Legend paused again. “I would say that he would need to try confiding in someone about his experiences… but I would be incredibly hypocritical in saying that. I might be projecting on him a bit, but he looks like he’s had to say goodbye to _everything_ he knows. He looks so _alone_.”

“I don’t think Mask would approve if you told him that to his face.”

Legend snorted. “Especially if I’m right. But at the very least, we should be there for him, make sure that he has someone to rely on. I… I personally would be a lot worse off if I didn’t have people I know and can relate to. He needs someone who knows just what burdens a hero goes through, someone who understands.”

Hyrule nodded. “Mask seems… almost afraid to open up, though. As if he doesn’t really want to know us better.”

“Well, at the very least, we should strive to help him get over what he’s gone through. He’s definitely experienced far too much for someone so young.”

△  
△△

Mask woke up lying in a bed somewhere. He felt completely spent.

He slowly recalled the last thing he remembered. Right. He had seen Majora’s Mask, and he threw it on the ground in front of Legend’s house. He had then put on the Fierce Deity’s Mask.

What happened next was a blur, as Mask hadn’t been in control. But he recalled that the Fierce Deity had destroyed Majora (again) and…

Oh, right.

Apparently, Mask failed this timeline. Yet another Hyrule left to Ganon’s clutches, like the future that Mask had tried so hard to avoid.

He then noticed that the traveler was at his side. Hyrule handed him a green potion. “Drink it.”

Mask slowly sipped the potion, and felt energy seep back into him.

Why were they being so hospitable, anyway? He had failed both of them and left their timeline to ruin. He had seen how empty both Veteran’s and Traveler’s Hyrule had been.

The most messed up thing was, he didn’t even remember how he failed this timeline. In the timeline where he had to stop Ganon after he took over, Zelda undid it. It shouldn’t exist anymore.

But this wasn’t that timeline, if it still existed, or else they would have known his hero title. They would have heard of the Hero of Time. And this wasn’t the timeline that he had been before he met the two other Links. Why else would Majora still exist in the mask?

How did he fail? What happened?

“It’s going to be all right,” the traveler said.

It wasn’t going to be all right. Hyrule was a shadow of its former self, and it was all his fault. What use was a hero who couldn’t save anyone?

Mask heard the door open, and Legend walk inside. He looked guilty.

Mask managed a few words out. “I’ve… I’ve failed you all, haven’t I?”

Legend shook his head. “I think it was some sort of alternate version of you. Or else you wouldn’t be travelling with us.”

“Plus,” Hyrule added. “It’s unreasonable to expect someone so young to save the world. It’s the fault of whoever expected you to save the world, not you yourself.”

“But… you were 10 when you went on your first adventure…” Mask said.

“I never said that wasn’t unreasonable.”

“…How long has it been?”

“About two days,” Legend said. “We were getting worried.”

“How do you feel?” asked Hyrule.

“Tired.” The green potion had helped a lot, but Mask still felt exhausted.

“You should rest some more, Mask,” Hyrule said. “We want you to have fully recovered before we get back on the road again. But ask me or Veteran if you need something.”

△  
△△

“So, Mask…” Legend said. “Do you want to explain what happened?”

Mask didn’t really want to tell them, but they were owed an explanation. “First, tell me why you had that mask.”

“I found it in my travels. As soon as I saw it, I knew that something horrible would happen if it fell into evil hands. So I kept it in my house, to keep people safe from it.”

Mask nodded. “It has a name, you know. It’s called Majora’s Mask. It houses an evil demon—One that I had to fight on my second adventure.”

“That explains why you reacted the way you did. What was that mask you put on?”

“I presume you’ve met the Fierce Deity, then. The mask is called the Fierce Deity’s Mask, and I’m pretty sure I don’t need to explain why it’s called that. Anyway, using the mask gives me incredible power, but at the same time I don’t have much agency to control that power. For the most part, the Fierce Deity is basically possessing me.”

“Yikes.”

“I swore to myself that I would only use it when it was the only option. I first used it against Majora when I first fought the mask.”

“So that was why you used it again?”

“…yes.” Mask paused for a moment. “The Fierce Deity’s power scares me. Especially since I lose the ability to control it. It reminds me too much of what happened to a friend of mine.” He shuddered. “Ideally, I would never use it again, but…”

He didn’t need to complete that sentence.

△  
△△

It had been about a day since Mask had woken up again, and he was up for travelling again.

“Look, I don’t feel exhausted anymore.” Mask said. “And if we’re going to wait any more, we’re going to just let whatever shadow is threatening Hyrule get a head start on us. We still have to find many more heroes, right?”

“Fair enough,” Legend said. “We still have a quest to pursue.”

“Veteran,” Hyrule said, “Do you want to pack a bit, or are you ready to go now?”

“I can go as I am, Traveler.”

“Well, let’s go, then.”

△  
△△

They hadn’t travelled long before they came across another portal.

They looked at each other knowingly. “Well, I guess we’re going now,” Mask said. “After you.”

And they walked through the portal, heading to another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left comments! I don't think I've stated how much I appreciate them!
> 
> Of course, there will be a continuation of this story. So stay tuned!


End file.
